Vending machine



Aug. 22, 1933.

E. MIHAL EK VENDING MACHINE Filed Dec. 12, 1931 Patented Aug. 22, 1933 rrsn stares VENDING KMACHINE:

Emery Mihalek, Chicago, 111., assignor to O. D.

Jennings & Company, Chicago, 111., a Corporation of Illinois Application December 12, 1931 7 Serial No. seaecz 3 Claims.

This invention relates to vending machines and more particularly to coin controlled vending machines having coupon or token return mechanism associated therewith to induce use of the vending machine.

A machine of this general type is disclosed in the I-Ialpin Patent No. 1,798,416, issued-March 31, 1931, and in which an amusement mechanism is associated with a coin controlled vending device. The amusement device comprises a plurality of spinning discs or drums which control coupon or token return slides, wherebyone or more tokens are returned to the operator of the vending machine, depending upon the position of the spinning members when stopped and the resultant position of the slides. v I

In this type of machine difiiculty has been encountered when a plurality of slides were eniployed, due to the friction of the slides, particularly upon the lowermost slides which carry the weight of all the superposed slides. To overcome this difiiculty it has been necessary to em ploy various devices which would insure positive action of the slides in spite of the frictional resistance. ating springs of various strengths; It is obvious, however, that this solution is a very uncertain one, therefore an unsatisfactory one, and at best merely increases the energy necessary to reset the slides even assuming that the springs are perfeet and maintain their resiliency throughout the life of the machine.

In accordance with my invention the cause of the difiiculty is removed by supporting the slides in such a manner that substantially all of the weight of the superposed slides is removed from the lowermost slide. In the preferred form each. slide or alternate slide is supported by means which guides them independently of the other slides. Y

A better understanding of my invention will be obtained from the following description given in connection with the drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the slide mechanism,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof, and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of a slightly modified form in which alternate slides are independently supported and guided. I

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I have illustrated a portion of the bed plate 1 which carries the entire mechanism and upon which are mounted four posts 2 between which the slides 3 are mounted. In the present instance five slides are shown, each of which is provided with a recess 6 adapted to receive one or'more One solution has been to provide actuformed guidesother forms of guides may be emcoupons or tokens which are fed into the slides by a chute or tube '7 and are discharged through an aperture 8 in the plate 1. Each of the guides is provided along its longitudinal edge with a tongue 9 which engages in a corresponding V groove formed in the posts. The grooves are in superposed'relation and so spaced as to support the several slides in slightly-spaced relation to adjacent slides, that is, each slide is supported and guided independently of the others. The weight of the upper slides is relieved from the v lower slides, that is, each slide is supported by its side tongues and does not rest upon the lower slides.

The slides are arranged to be latched in position by levers 11 which are engaged by trip levers 12 which latter form no part of this invention.

In the modified form of this invention illustrated in Fig. 3, means are shown for independently guiding alternate'slides only, i. e., the posts 13 are grooved to receive the edge portions of alternate slides 14. This form of the invention has proved satisfactory in certain instances and reduces'the cost of manufacture somewhat. In this form the lowermost slide is freely guided be-:- tween the posts and does not carry the weight of any other slides, since the one immediately thereabove is independently guided in grooves formed in the posts. The second slide from the bottom and each alternate slide thereafter carries the weight of one slide only, that being the one immediately above.

It is obvious from the foregoing description that I have provided means for independently guiding each slide where it is deemed necessary, to thereby remove the weight of superimposed guides thereon. It is apparent that while I have shown tongue and groove guides, these being deemedone of the simplest and most cheaply ployed and that other changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In the type of token-return mechanism for use in vending machines which comprises a token magazine and a pile of slides having token-receiving openings normally in registration with said magazine and wherein each slide, being of appropriate. thickness to engage a definite number of tokens,which may be one or more, is operable to eject the token or tokenswhich it contains, the improvement which'consists in slide 110 supporting and guiding means in which said plurality without interference with the close relation of all the slides with one another.

2. A token-delivery mechanism of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein said slide supporting and guiding means comprises guide members between which the slides are slidably fitted,

and wherein said guide members and :said zplu-' rality of independently supported slides have tongue and groove sliding connections of less Width than the said slides and which constitute the said interengaging parts for independently supporting said slides.

3. A token-delivery mechanism of the character set forth in claim 1 wherein said slide supporting and guiding means comprises a base member on which the lowermost slide rests and guide members between which the slides are slidably fitted, and wherein said plurality of independently supported slides comprise certain nonadjacent slides wider than the others, said guide members having spaced grooves receiving the latera'lly extended portions of said plurality of slides, the grooved portions of the guide members-and lateral portions of said plurality of slides constituting the said interengaging parts for independentlysupporting said slides.

EMERY MIHALEK. 

